Effect of yoga ocular exercises on intraocular pressure

Abstract

Background: Glaucoma is the second leading cause of global blindness and is the leading cause of irreversible visual loss. Hence, it becomes very important in guiding the designs of glaucoma screening, treatment, and intraocular pressure (IOP) control methods. Hence, the aim of this study was to analyze the effect of yoga ocular exercises on IOP.Materials and Methods: Thirty-one undergraduate optometry students (62 eyes) who satisfied the inclusion criteria after a baseline comprehensive eye examination were selected for the study and were assigned to two groups: an exercise group (n = 15) and a control group (n = 16). A baseline IOP measurement was done for both groups. The exercise group performed yoga ocular exercises for 30 min/day for 5 days a week for up to 6 weeks. IOP was measured for both eyes for all participants at the end of each week for up to 6 weeks.Results: In the exercise group, there was a highly statistically significant reduction in IOP in both eyes (p = 0.000 in the right eye [RE] and p = 0.001 in the left eye [LE]). Whereas in the control group, there was an insignificant change in IOP (p = 0.751 in the RE and p = 0.809 in the LE).Conclusions: The yoga ocular exercises induce a significant reduction in IOP and hence can be considered as a nonpharmacological intervention for lowering the IOP for the management and treatment plan of various ocular diseases or disorders associated with ocular hypertension.